Prototype This

Prototype This, an engineering entertainment program on Discovery Channel, offered a view into the real-life process of designing and building unique prototypes. In this thirteen episode series, the team set out to tackle the problems of today by creating crazy, one-of-a-kind inventions of tomorrow.

Joe Grand of Grand Idea Studio was the team's electrical engineer and hardware hacker, and shared the screen with Zoz Brooks, a roboticist and software designer specializing in human-machine interaction, Mike North, a material scientist and mechanical engineer, and Terry Sandin, a special effects veteran.

The following sections contain Joe's technical documentation, including schematics, source code, and development notes, that he personally contributed to each build. The information is for educational purposes only, cannot be used for any commercial endeavor without prior approval from Grand Idea Studio, and is unsupported.

It’s time for some superhero adventure with San Francisco’s own “Fantastic Four.” Inspired by the superhuman abilities of the gecko and cutting edge research at Stanford University, the team attempts to create a real-life superhero: Geckoman. [ continue ]